Mecum Auctions’ yearly wrap-up took place in Kansas City Nov. 30-Dec. 2. The Kansas City Auction has put the exclamation point on Mecum’s year for a long time, and the 2023 sale marked the 30th anniversary of Mecum holding auctions in Kansas City. It was a strong anniversary event for Mecum, as it posted its second-highest gross total ever in Kansas City. The collector car market has started to show signs of sliding off of the bubble that it has been on for the last few years, but that was not evident in Kansas City. With a 74 percent sell-through rate and $16.3 million in sales, it was an excellent auction for Mecum.
The Kansas City Convention Center was packed with vehicles and auction attendees. Bartle Hall was so full of cars that Mecum had to move its offices to another area of the convention center instead of on the auction level where they are normally stationed. A nice selection of memorabilia was also offered at this sale, including signs, gas pumps and automotive art.
The most notable collection that sold at Mecum Kansas City was Jim Blin’s Cars of Yesteryear. The collection featured 16 cars at no-reserve. The collection covered a wide range of automobiles, from a 1905 Cadillac to a 1958 BMW Isetta. The collection also boasted a stunning 1929 Packard dual-cowl phaeton. The overall group brought in $818,430.
The top 10 was a mix of old and new, from a heavy Classic to modern muscle, with four of the 10 being built after the year 2000. The top seller was a 2005 Ford GT hammering at
